Podcast · Leisure & Travel

The MinnMax Show

Released every Thursday, The MinnMax Show features former Game Informer employees and beyond talking about the week's most exciting games or game industry news before reading feedback from the Patreon community found at patreon.com/minnmax.

New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 2 hr 31 min
Latest: 24 Sep 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

24 Sep 2026 · 2 hr 33 min

Silent Hill: Townfall Review, Fire Emblem, Who Won September (With Blank Check's JJ)

We'll DM you a Steam code for Jackbox Party Pack 9 if you support MinnMax at even the $2 tier on Patreon, or if you're a current supporter upgrading to the Backstage Pass tier. Offer ends on Monday, September 28th. https://www.patreon.com/minnmax MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Jacob Geller, Kyle Hilliard, and Janet Garcia share their evolving thoughts on Remedy's Control Resonant before a review discussion on Silent Hill: Townfall. Then we're joined by JJ Bersch, the researcher from the cohort-favorite podcast Blank Check to join Kelsey Lewin and Jeff Marchiafava in unpacking Nintendo's Fire Emblem:…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

18 Sep 2026 · 2 hr 31 min

Control Resonant, Sony Dumps Kojima, Wolverine Rage

https://www.patreon.com/minnmax - Unlock a benefit and directly support independent games media MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Kyle Hilliard, Janet Garcia, and Jeff Marchiafava share their early thoughts on Remedy's Control Resonant before venturing into the year 2030 and talking about PlayStation dropping Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear follow-up Physint and Blizzard announcing a new take on StarCraft as an open-world shooter. Then we descend back into the Marvel mines as Jeff and Janet weigh in on Insomniac's Wolverine and the reaction to the reviews online. Then we answer questions submitted on Patreon…
10 Sep 2026 · 2 hr 35 min

Wolverine Review, Metroid Ravenous, FFVII Revelation Preview

We’ll DM you a Steam code for Double Fine’s Keeper AND Kiln (the newly independent studio!) if you're a new MinnMax supporter at the $5 tier by the end of Monday, September 14th. Support independent media, celebrate Double Fine! https://www.patreon.com/minnmax MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Kyle Hilliard, Haley MacLean, and Jacob Geller share highlights from the Nintendo Directs this week including the reveal of Metroid Ravenous and gameplay for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Then we unleash our thoughts on Marvel's Wolverine from Insomniac on the PlayStation 5 in a spoiler-free review…
3 Sep 2026 · 2 hr 37 min

Onimusha Review, Orbitals, Final Fantasy Resonance

https://www.patreon.com/minnmax - Unlock a benefit and directly support independent games media MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Kyle Hilliard, Jacob Geller, and returning champion Charles Harte celebrate Capcom for nailing basically everything with Onimusha: Way of the Sword. Then we talk about the new mandatory co-op Switch 2 exclusive Orbitals, playing Mega Man: Dual Override at Gamescom, The Blood of Dawnwalker from Witcher 3's director, Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy, and (of course) a preview of Final Fantasy Resonance. Then we answer questions submitted on Patreon by the community and award the…
28 Aug 2026 · 2 hr 51 min

GTA VI Gameplay, Duskbloods, Gamescom Highlights

https://www.patreon.com/minnmax - We'll DM you a Steam code for the excellent Lumines Arise if you're a new Patreon supporter at the $5 or above tier. Offer ends 8/31/26 MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Sarah Podzorski, Leo Vader, Jacob Geller, and Jeff Marchiafava gather together in the MinnMax Studio in Minneapolis to react to the big gameplay reveal for GTA 6 from Rockstar Games. Then Jacob unpacks his feelings on From Software's The Duskbloods on Nintendo Switch 2 and we debate Horizon Hunters Gathering more before we jump into the XCOM-like Star Wars: Zero Company. After that, we run through some…
20 Aug 2026 · 2 hr 27 min

GOTY Prediction, Horizon Reboot, Mortal Shell 2 Review

MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Jacob Geller, Janet Garcia, and Kyle Hilliard unpack the lay of the land for our 2026 GOTY before the onslaught of games releasing in September. Then we discuss the Bloomberg story about Guerrilla Games rebooting the multiplayer Horizon Hunters Gathering based on poor feedback and Jacob shares some praise for the new Elden Ring-like Mortal Shell 2. Then things get deadly serious as we bring freelancer extraordinaire Hayes Madsen in to dissect everything revealed about D23 about Kingdom Hearts IV. Then we answer questions submitted on Patreon by the community and award…
13 Aug 2026 · 2 hr 28 min

Marvel Tokon Review, Fields Of Mistria 1.0, New N64 Games

MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Jacob Geller, and Kyle Hilliard are joined by production assistant Nick Stefanacci and former cohort Suriel Vazquez for the ultimate fighting game discussion on PlayStation's Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls. We also unpack the wave of N64 throwback titles with Agent 64: Spies Never Die and Wild Blue Skies' take on Starfox. Then we're joined by Sarah Podzorski, Haley MacLean, and Jeff Marchiafava to celebrate the launch of Fields of Mistria 1.0 and dive deeper into sims with Moonlight Peaks and Pokopia's underwater DLC. Then we answer questions submitted on Patreon by the…
6 Aug 2026 · 2 hr 23 min

Big Walk, Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave, Halo's Future

https://www.patreon.com/minnmax - We'll DM you a Switch 2 or Steam code for Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector if you're a new supporter at the $5 tier or if you upgrade to the Backstage Pass tier. Offer ends 8/10/26. MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Haley MacLean, Kelsey Lewin, Jeff Marchiafava, and Jacob Geller kick off the big show by raving about their puzzle-solving adventures in the new open-world exploration game Big Walk. Then we unpack the biggest surprises in the Nintendo Direct for Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave on the Switch 2, boot up our old PC-brains with Desktop Explorer, weigh the pros…
30 Jul 2026 · 2 hr 24 min

Silent Hill Townfall, Splatoon Raiders, Incident At Galley House

https://www.patreon.com/minnmax - Unlock early, ad-free access to this podcast and directly support independent games media MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Kelsey Lewin, Janet Garcia, and Jacob Geller kick off a huge episode by talking about Splatoon Raiders on the Nintendo Switch 2. Then Jeff Marchiafava joins us to rave about the twin-stick roguelike Pathogenic and Janet explains why she was so impressed by playing a preview build of Silent Hill Townfall. The fun doesn't stop there, as Haley MacLean and Kyle Hilliard join for a huge final discussion about the Steam Machine and to rave about the new…
23 Jul 2026 · 2 hr 14 min

2026's Most Underappreciated Games (So Far) With Lucy James

We'll DM you a Steam code for Forestrike, upgrade your tier or support MinnMax at the $2 tier or above (new supporters) before Tuesday, July 28th. https://www.patreon.com/minnmax MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Sarah Podzorski, Leo Vader, and Janet Garcia are joined once again by Lucy James! The cohost of the Summer Game Fest Showcase and formerly of Gamespot, Lucy just launched a newsletter all about helping you find new, indie games called LookingFor.Game. On this episode we each share our picks for 2026 games that deserve more love, you can submit your picks on the next episode of our…
16 Jul 2026 · 2 hr 59 min

Ocarina Of Time, Denshattack, 53 Always Fun Things (With Kyle Bosman)

https://www.patreon.com/minnmax - Unlock an early, ad-free version of The MinnMax Show and more on Patreon. MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Kyle Hilliard, Jacob Geller, and special guest Kyle Bosman celebrate the finer things in gaming by creating a big list of things that are always fun in games: from the double jump to the drop kick. Then we talk about the excellent new train-centric game called Denshattack! and Kyle Hilliard talks about replaying through The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and what he wants from the remake. Then we answer questions submitted on Patreon by the community and award…
9 Jul 2026 · 2 hr 55 min

PS6 Kills Discs, Xbox Fallout, Rhythm Heaven Groove

https://www.patreon.com/minnmax - Unlock early, ad-free episodes of The MinnMax Show and directly support independent games media. MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Kelsey Lewin, Haley MacLean, Jacob Geller, and Jeff Marchiafava unpack the huge news that PlayStation is ending production on discs for their games presumably for the PlayStation 6 in 2028. We even out the bad news by raving about Rhythm Heaven Groove on the Nintendo Switch and Meccha Chameleon before diving into the disastrous layoffs at Xbox and the ramifications of their big studio "reset". Then we answer questions submitted on Patreon by…
2 Jul 2026 · 2 hr 23 min

2026's Release Calendar Six-Shooter Duel

https://www.patreon.com/minnmax - Unlock a benefit and directly support independent games media MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Janet Garcia, Jacob Geller, Haley MacLean, and Leo Vader run down the full game release calendar for 2026 and duel to determine who wants to play each game the most. Leave a comment below for who you think ended up with the best list. We talk about GTA VI, Marvel's Wolverine, Orbitals, Star Wars: Galactic Racer, Control Resonant, Splatoon Raiders, and a whole lot more! Then we answer questions submitted on Patreon by the community and award the iam8bit question of the week!…
25 Jun 2026 · 2 hr 16 min

GTA VI Details, Star Fox Review, Steam Machine

https://www.patreon.com/minnmax - Unlock a benefit and directly support independent games media MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Kyle Hilliard, Jeff Marchiafava, and production assistant Nick Stefannaci review Star Fox on the Nintendo Switch 2, talk about the price reveal of GTA VI, weigh the pros and cons of the Steam Machine, and gush about some upcoming indie games via Steam Next Fest. Then we answer questions submitted on Patreon by the community and award the iam8bit question of the week! You can win a prize and help make the show better by supporting us on Patreon and submitting a question!…
18 Jun 2026 · 2 hr 25 min

Xbox Studio Doom, Best Steam Demos, Adventures Of Elliot (With Jason Schreier)

https://www.patreon.com/minnmax - Unlock a benefit and directly support independent games media MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Jacob Geller, Kyle Hilliard, and special guest Bloomberg's Jason Schreier unpack the chaotic news out of Xbox that Double Fine, Ninja Theory, Compulsion Games, and more studios are in a state of flux and might be shut down if they can't find another buyer before July. Then things take a turn for the positive as we unpack Square-Enix's new HD-2D Team Asano ARPG The Adventures of Elliot: The Millenium Tales. Sarah Podzorski and Haley MacLean then join the show to talk about…
11 Jun 2026 · 2 hr 40 min

SGF's Game Of The Show, FF VII Revelation, Resident Evil Veronica

We'll DM you a Steam code for Sifu if you're a new supporter joining at the $5 tier or if you upgrade to the Backstage Pass tier on Patreon before June 18th, 2026. https://www.patreon.com/minnmax MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Kelsey Lewin, Kyle Hilliard, Janet Garcia, and special returning guest EllieJoyPanic unpack all of the exciting announcements from Summer Game Fest, Xbox Games Showcase, and the Nintendo Direct. They also talk about attending Summer Game Fest's Play Days and getting to play Control Resonant, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, and more. We share our picks for Game of the Show and read…
4 Jun 2026 · 2 hr 48 min

State Of Play Reveals, God Of War: Laufey, Luna Abyss Review

We'll DM you a Steam code for Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny if you support MinnMax at the $2 tier before Monday, June 8th, 2026. Offer for brand new supporters only. https://www.patreon.com/minnmax MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Jacob Geller, Janet Garcia, Leo Vader, and Kyle Hilliard share their favorite games and reveals from the big kick-off to the summer gaming reveal season with Sony's State of Play. The big talker is a new God of War game from Santa Monica Studio starring Kratos' wife Laufey in the afterlife. We also unpack Insomniac's Wolverine, Ace Combat 8, Rayman Legends Retold, and a whole…
28 May 2026 · 2 hr 59 min

007 First Light, Mina The Hollower Review, Gaming's Skyrocketing Prices

We'll DM you a Steam code for Town To City if you support MinnMax at any tier before Monday, June 1st, 2026. The city-builder with overwhelmingly positive reviews on Steam just went 1.0! Offer for brand new supporters only. https://www.patreon.com/minnmax MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Leo Vader, Janet Garcia, Jeff Marchiafava, and special guest (and former MinnMax cohort) Suriel Vazquez rave about 007 First Light from the developers of Hitman and explain why it's the best Bond game yet. Then Kyle Hilliard joins the show as we review Mina the Hollower from Yacht Club Games, debate how "Arkham" LEGO…
21 May 2026 · 2 hr 43 min

Summer Game Fest Predictions, Subnautica 2, Yoshi's Book

MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Kelsey Lewin, Jeff Marchiafava, and Kyle Hilliard get in the summer mood by attempting to predict Geoff Keighley's Summer Game Fest Showcase and the biggest reveals from PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo. Then we celebrate the release of Subnautica 2 in early access and share early impressions for Alabaster Dawn from the creators of CrossCode. Oh, and JeffM has a new roguelike inspired by chess to share called Gambonanza. Then we answer questions submitted on Patreon by the community and award the iam8bit question of the week! You can win a prize and help make the show…
14 May 2026 · 2 hr 24 min

Mina The Hollower, Forza Horizon 6, Steam Controller Review

https://www.patreon.com/minnmax - Unlock the ad-free version of this show a day early and more on Patreon. MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Sarah Podzorski, and Janet Garcia head to Japan (digitally) to talk about the upcoming game from the creators of Yakuza/Like A Dragon called Stranger Than Heaven and review Forza Horizon 6. Then Kyle Hilliard and Jeff Marchiafava join the show to share early impressions of Mina the Hollower from the creators of Shovel Knight, get hands-on with the new Steam controller, and talk about the fantastic 90s PC vibes of Forbidden Solitiare. After that, it's nothing but…
7 May 2026 · 2 hr 42 min

Star Fox Returns, Mixtape Review, Xbox's Gigantic Asterisk

https://www.patreon.com/minnmax - Support MinnMax at the $5 tier on Patreon and we'll DM you Steam codes for EVERY Deconstructeam game: The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood, Many Nights A Whisper, Gods Will Be Watching, Essays on Empathy, and The Red Strings Club. Offer ends 5/11/26. We'll update this description if we run out of codes. We include a bonus snippet of Ben Hanson, Kyle Hilliard, and MinnMax's production assistant Nick Stefanacci's reaction to the new Star Fox game on Nintendo Switch 2 before diving into the main show that has Janet Garcia, Kyle Hilliard, Jacob Geller, and special guest…
30 Apr 2026 · 2 hr 22 min

007 First Light Preview, Resident Evil Movie, Final Fantasy XIV Evercold

https://www.patreon.com/minnmax - We'll DM you a Steam code for Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection if you support MinnMax at the $5 tier or higher before Monday, May 4th. This offer is for new supporters only. MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Leo Vader, Sarah Podzorski, and Janet Garcia talk about the most exciting games they've been playing recently - which includes a hands-on preview event for 007 First Light from the creators of Hitman! They also talk about Moves of the Diamond Hand, Eternal Love, Double Fine's new multiplayer game Kiln, and more. Then we answer questions submitted on Patreon by the…
24 Apr 2026 · 2 hr 22 min

Saros Review, Tomodachi Life, Vampire Crawlers

Unlock early, ad-free access to The MinnMax Show and find a benefit that's right for you - https://www.patreon.com/minnmax This week on The MinnMax Show, Ben Hanson, Jacob Geller, Kyle Hilliard, and Jeff Marchiafava rave about Housemarque's new action roguelikes for PlayStation called Saros and discuss how the game compares to Returnal. This is a spoiler-free discussion and codes were provided by PlayStation. Then we talk about the excellent Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard from Vampire Survivors and share the first hands-on preview impressions for Virtue and a Sledgehammer. Then Haley…
17 Apr 2026 · 2 hr 53 min

Pragmata Review, Super Meat Boy 3D, Twilight Princess Revisited

https://www.patreon.com/minnmax - Unlock the early, ad-free version of The MinnMax Show and support independent games coverage directly on Patreon. MinnMax's Ben Hanson is joined by Jacob Geller, Janet Garcia, Kyle Hilliard, and Jeff Marchiafava unleash thoughts on Capcom's new moon-focused IP called Pragmata, explain why Minos is worth checking out, and weigh the pros and cons of Super Meat Boy 3D. Then we're joined by Sarah Podzorski and Haley MacLean as we revisit The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and get cozy with Hozy. Then we answer questions submitted on Patreon by the community…
9 Apr 2026 · 2 hr 30 min

Star Fox's Future, Samson, Ocarina Of Time Remake

https://www.patreon.com/minnmax - Unlock a benefit and directly support independent games media MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Kelsey Lewin, Leo Vader, and Kyle Hilliard share their thoughts on new game releases like the admirable but flawed Samson: A Tyndalston Story, the impressive musical-JRPG People of Note, Monster Hunter Stories 3 on the Nintendo Switch 2, and more. Then Kyle Hilliard talks about returning to play Star Fox Adventures and Star Fox Assault on the GameCube as we discuss the best path forward for our favorite Nintendo pilot. Then we answer questions submitted on Patreon by the…
2 Apr 2026 · 2 hr 14 min

25 Games Everybody Should Play (Alanah Pearce Returns)

https://www.patreon.com/minnmax - We'll DM you a Steam code for Skate Story if you support MinnMax at the $5 tier before Monday, April 6th. New or returning supporters welcome. We'll update this description if we run out of codes. MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Kelsey Lewin, Jacob Geller, and Kyle Hilliard are joined by former MinnMax Guest Cohort Alanah Pearce as she launches her own production company called Charred Pictures that focuses on adapting video games to TV and movies in a way that's friendlier to independent developers. We then attempt to build a list of 25 essential games for gamers to…
26 Mar 2026 · 2 hr 8 min

Crimson Desert, Screamer, Metal Gear's Lost Game

We'll DM you a Steam code for the great new game Perfect Tides: Station to Station if you support MinnMax at any tier on Patreon (or upgrade your tier) before Monday, March 30th. https://www.patreon.com/minnmax MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Leo Vader, Jeff Marchiafava, and Kyle Hilliard unpack the messy, open-world glory of Crimson Desert and rave about the new arcade racing game Screamer. Then Haley MacLean joins the show to share spoiler-free thoughts on wrapping up Pokopia and Ben longs for the multiplayer of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Fox Hunt. Then we answer questions submitted on Patreon by the…
19 Mar 2026 · 3 hr 8 min

Slay The Spire II, DLSS 5 Outrage, Portal Writer Erik Wolpaw

https://www.patreon.com/minnmax - Unlock the ad-free and early version of this podcast and support it directly on Patreon MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Leo Vader, Jacob Geller, and Janet Garcia are joined by legendary game writer Erik Wolpaw (Portal, Portal 2, Psychonauts, Half-Life: Alyx) to celebrate the release of Mega Crit's Slay the Spire II and explain how it's the incredible sequel to one of the greatest games ever made. Then we talk about Janet and Jacob's trip to the Game Developer's Conference in San Francisco, follow up on Mewgenics, revisit The Division II, and share some final…
12 Mar 2026 · 2 hr 51 min

Xbox's Next-Gen Reveal, Pokémon Pokopia, Esoteric Ebb

https://www.patreon.com/minnmax - Unlock an early, ad-free version of The MinnMax Show and directly support independent games media MinnMax's Ben Hanson, Sarah Podzorski, Kelsey Lewin, Jeff Marchiafava, and Haley MacLean gather to celebrate the unbelievably fun Pokémon Pokopia on the Nintendo Switch 2. We also talk about the glowing reviews for the cRPG Esoteric Ebb, share early impressions of Slay the Spire 2 in early access, Kelsey talks about her preview trip to play Big Walk at Panic, Sarah can't stop playing Valve's Deadlock, and unpack the big reveal for XBOX's Project Helix from its…
5 Mar 2026 · 2 hr 13 min

Marathon, Next-Gen Pokémon, Spider-Man: Miles Morales Rules

https://www.patreon.com/minnmax - Unlock the early, ad-free version of The MinnMax Show and more by supporting us directly on Patreon. MinnMax's guest host Haley MacLean is joined by Leo Vader, Jacob Geller, and Kyle Hilliard to share first impressions on Bungie's Marathon and how it compares to Arc Raiders in the extraction genre. We talk about Highguard being taken offline and the thrills of Pokémon Winds and Waves before Leo Vader regales us with torrid love affair with Spider-Man: Miles Morales on PC and Kyle Hilliard regales us with his tepid like affair with Scott Pilgrim EX. Then we…

About The MinnMax Show

The MinnMax Show is a English leisure & travel podcast from MinnMax. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: MinnMax
Language: English
Category: Leisure & Travel
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 2 hr 31 min
Latest episode: 24 Sep 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1484599827
Rights: MinnMax Media LLC

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